PM’s farewell speech today at Plan panel

In his last address on a formal forum, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to make a farewell “speech from the heart” on Wednesday at a meeting of the Planning Commission, recounting the achievements of the United Progressive Alliance government.

Low-key affair

The meeting has been planned as a low-key affair, highly placed sources told The Hindu.

“Normally, the PM’s reviews and meetings at Yojana Bhawan tend to last at least for two hours. But, as Dr. Singh has other engagements, the farewell meeting of the UPA government’s Planning Commission has been planned for an hour only,” the sources said.

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a PM confidant, is learnt to have advised Dr. Singh last week that he “speak from the heart” about the UPA government’s performance in the last 10 years.

Dr. Singh has been under intense attack from the Opposition during the poll campaign, especially after the release of the controversial book, The Accidental Prime Minister, by his former media adviser Sanjaya Baru.